Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney's past criticisms of President Trump have received new attention over the weekend following Friday's news of Mulvaney's acceptance of his third role in the Trump administration. After the 2016 discovery of Trump's lewd Access Hollywood remarks, Mulvaney wrote on his congressional Facebook page that Trump is "not a very good person," and his words were "disgusting and indefensible." In a debate with his Democratic rival for that year's election, Mulvaney similarly said he was supporting Trump despite thinking "he's a terrible human being" because "the choice on the other side is just as bad."

Six days after a gunman murdered at least 50 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern effectively banned the sale of AR-15s and all similar assault rifles Thursday afternoon. "Related parts used to convert these guns into [military-style semi-automatics] MSSAs are also being banned, along with all high-capacity magazines," she said. These changes will require legislation, and Ardern said she expects the bans to be enshrined in law by April 11, with a buy-back program put in place afterward. In the meantime, the government has immediately reclassified "virtually all" of the weapons she mentioned so purchasing them now requires a special permit from the police.

President Trump's feud with the late Sen. John McCain continued on Wednesday, when he said he gave McCain "the kind of funeral that he wanted" in a speech at an Ohio army tank plant. Trump said that McCain's funeral was something he "had to approve," but added that "I don't care about this," also claiming he "didn't get a thank you." Trump has been leveling public criticism at McCain in recent days, linking McCain to the Steele dossier on Twitter Sunday, and complaining about McCain's thumbs-down vote on repealing the Affordable Care Act to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday. He also said he "never liked" McCain much and "probably never will."

Environmental Protection Agency chief Andrew Wheeler on Wednesday said that polluted water, drought, and ocean trash are "the largest and most immediate environmental and public health issues affecting the world right now." He made his remarks in Washington on World Water Day, saying he is frustrated because "water issues often take a backseat" to larger discussions about global warming. "Most of the threats from climate change are 50 to 75 years out," Wheeler said. "What we need to do is make sure that the people who are dying today from lack of having drinking water in Third World countries, that problem is addressed."

The death toll from Cyclone Idai continued to rise in southern Africa on Wednesday, with more than 200 people confirmed dead in Mozambique and at least 100 more victims in neighboring Zimbabwe. Floodwaters were forecast to continue to rise on Thursday, with more torrential rains expected. "Floodwaters are predicted to rise significantly in the coming days and 350,000 people are at risk," the United Nations humanitarian office said. Aid groups have been struggling to rescue survivors, some awaiting help on rooftops. Entire villages have been destroyed. "There is death all over," said a survivor, Amos Makunduwa, who carried his remaining possessions in a bag.

The NCAA men's basketball tournament got started Wednesday night, with the "First Four" games to set the full field of 64 teams when March Madness kicks off in earnest on Thursday. Arizona State beat St. John's, 74-64, bouncing back from a late-season slide. The Sun Devils, a No. 11 seed, move on to face Buffalo, seeded 6 in their bracket, in the round of 64. The North Dakota State Bison beat the North Carolina Central Eagles, 78-74. The Bisons' junior guard Tyson Ward led all scorers with 23 points. North Dakota moves on to face the top-ranked Duke Blue Devils next, on Friday.